Chapter 1 - History of Astrocytes

Abstract

In this introduction to the history of astrocytes, we (1) contextualize the evolution of the concept of neuroglia within the development of cell theory and the “neuron doctrine”; (2) explain how the concept of neuroglia arose and evolved; (3) provide an interesting overview of some of the investigators involved in defining the cell types in the central nervous system; (4) select the interaction of Wilder Penfield and Pío del Río-Hortega for a more in-depth historical vignette portraying a critical period during which glial cell types were being identified, described, and separated; and (5) briefly summarize further developments that presaged the modern era of neuroglioscience.